[Archive 2008-12-08] Australian PM announces public affairs channel

Historical archive — originally published 2008-12-08. This report records what was known on that date. It is not current news; subsequent events may have changed the situation. Wikinews closed in May 2026.

Australian Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd launched the Australian Subscription Public Affairs Network today. The channel, a production of Sky News and subscription television providers Foxtel and Austar is modeled on the United States' C-SPAN channel. Broadcasts will commence January 20, 2009.

The network will be available on subscription television, the Internet and digital free-to-air television and will show sittings of Federal parliament as well as the United States Congress, New Zealand parliament, British House of Commons and state parliaments in New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland.

Prime Minister Rudd said that A-SPAN will give a "fly-on-the-wall" perspective of politics, in the same vein as C-SPAN in the US. He said A-SPAN is "a good thing for our democracy" and that "it's a superb initiative".

Mr Rudd said he looked forward to introducing Australian English from the parliament of Australia to an international audience.

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